Part 8
~~
For the next few weeks, Jess never talked to Rory, except to take her order at the diner. Every time she saw him, she wanted to run away and hide; she felt so bad for what she had done to him, but she was so confused she didn't know what to do, so she ignored him as well. Jess wasn't ignoring Rory because he was mad at her; it was the total opposite; he had totally fallen for her and he just couldn't stand to pretend to be just her friend, so he didn't talk to her at all; even though it was killing him. When school finally started, Rory was all too happy to go back, then she wouldn't have to worry about the awkwardness between her and Jess everyday. Her senior year started off with a bang, she got all the classes she wanted, all of her teachers were great, and she and Paris were finally starting to get along.
On Friday night of the first week of school, Rory and Dean went out to celebrate the fact that they were finally seniors. They went to see "Signs", then they went to a late dinner. After dinner, they went for a walk by the bridge. Memories of her and Jess came flooding back and Rory got a little uncomfortable.
"What's the matter?"
Rory looked at Dean, "Huh? Nothings wrong? Why?"
"Well, you seem really distant. You've been that way since you got back from D.C."
"I'm fine."
"I knew this was going to happen the day you went on the picnic with him."
Rory was a bit surprised by his comment, "Huh?"
"Rory, you can't hide it anymore. I know you have feelings for him."
"No, I don't! Dean, I love you!"
"I know, and I love you too. I also want you to be happy, and it's clear you'll be happiest with Jess."
"Dean, don't say that."
"Rory, I love you, I always will; but you belong with Jess. I'm not stupid, I've seen the way you look when you're with him; YOU ARE HAPPY. I'm doing this for you. All I want is for you to be happy. Be with Jess."
Rory was crying now, "Dean, please don't do this."
"Rory, listen; I'm not mad, and I'm not doing this to hurt you; all I've ever wanted is for you to be truly happy. I had hoped it would be with me, but I know now that it would be with Jess. As much as I hate the little punk, I know that he would take good care of you, treat you right, and love you the way I love you. I understand all that now. We both know that you belong with Jess."
He leaned down and kissed her softly. "This is the way it should be."
Then he walked away. Surprisingly, Rory wasn't nearly as upset as she thought she would be. She slowly walked home, thinking about what she was going to do about this whole situation.
~~
The next morning, Lane went to Luke's with Rory and Lorelai for breakfast.
Lorelai smiled at her daughter, "You're turn to order."
"What?"
"Go to the counter, order the food."
"Why me?"
"Cuz it's your turn."
"Mom."
Lane broke in, "I can do it."
"No, Rory does it." Lorelai nodded her head towards the counter and Lane looked over and saw Jess behind it. Lane quickly caught on.
"Right, Rory does it."
Rory caught on as well. "Forget it, I know what you guys are doing, and it's not gonna work."
"Oh come on Rory, the tension between you two is so thick you could cut it with a knife." Lorelai giggled, "I always wanted to say that."
"Mom, stop."
"Rory, you stop. Dean broke up with you because he knows you belong with Jess; I mean, what more do you need. Go talk to the boy."
"She's right Rory, you belong with Jess." Lane smiled.
"Well, I wouldn't say that. If I had my way, Jess would be long gone from here and far away from you, but what can I do? So just go, before I send you to boarding school in Switzerland."
"Fine, I'll go "order the food."
Rory glared at her mom and best friend as she headed over to the counter. Jess was wiping the counter and jumped when she came up.
"Start wearing a bell!" He hissed at her.
Rory suppressed a giggle, "Sorry."
"What'll it be?"
"You."
"Excuse me?"
"You, I want you to talk to me."
"What do you call this?"
"Jess."
"Ok, fine. Upstairs."
"Ok."
Rory followed Jess upstairs, ignoring the look her mom gave her. When they got upstairs, Rory pulled herself onto a table, and Jess sat on his bed.
"So talk." Jess looked totally uninterested in talking to her.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"Acting like a jerk."
"If this is what you wanted to talk about."
"Just shut up and listen."
Jess went silent.
"I can't stand not talking to you. You're my friend and I can't stand that you're mad at me."
"I'm not mad."
"Then why are you acting like this?"
"It's easier for me if I don't talk to you; keeps my mind off of you."
"You are so full of it."
"Am I?"
"Yes; you're too damn stubborn for your own good."
"Tell me something I don't know."
"Dean and I broke up."
"Really?"
"You sound surprised."
"I am."
"Why?"
"I never thought you would. That's all."
"He broke up with me for you."
They paused.
"Ok, that sounded wrong."
"Yea. What I mean is, he thinks I should.be with you."
"Come again?"
"He.and everyone else think we belong together."
"Everyone but you."
"Jess, I am still really confused. Can you just give me time to figure things out? That's all I ask."
"Fair enough."
Jess got up, walked over to Rory, and stood between her legs. She was leaning way back on the table, so he reached over, put his hands on her hips and pulled her to the edge of the table until their bodies were touching, then he slowly leaned in.
"What are you doing?" Rory said into his mouth.
"Giving you something to think about." Then he kissed her. She opened her mouth to try to say something, anything that would get him to stop, but she couldn't think of anything to say, mostly because she didn't want him to stop. When she opened her mouth, he took the opportunity and slid his tongue in her mouth. She was completely defenseless against him, so she tangled her fingers in his hair and responded to the kiss. It only lasted a minute, but it felt like an eternity.
When Jess pulled away, Rory pouted, "That's so not fair! You are totally breaking down my defenses!"
Jess grinned, "Anything to get to "figure things out" faster."
"Cheater."
Jess chuckled and grabbed her hand, pulling her off the table, "Come on, if we don't go back down, your mom will come up with a swat team."
~~
When they got back downstairs, Rory went back to the table and sat down.
"Well? What happened?" Lane was practically begging for info.
"We talked. I asked him to give me time, he agreed."
Lorelai raised her eyebrow, "Talked? That's all?"
"Yep." Rory lied through her teeth.
"Where's the food?"
"Oh, right. Be right back." Rory grinned and went over to the counter to order breakfast.
Lorelai and Lane looked at each other, "They totally did more than just talk."
"Oh, yea."
Jess smiled when he saw Rory, "Come back for more?"
"In your dreams."
"You better believe it."
Rory rolled her eyes, "My mom wants food."
"Excuses, excuses."
"Jess."
"Ok, food coming right up."
"Thank you."
"However, I must warn you, Caesar is cooking."
Rory wrinkled her nose, "Why?"
"Luke is in Hartford. He had to get some things for the diner. He'll be back tomorrow. I'm sure he's just dieing to cook for you again."
"I won't be here tomorrow. I have to do a school thing.sorta."
"Sorta?"
"Yea, these girls from my school, Madeline and Louise are on the school dance team, which I didn't even know we have, anyway, they are trying to raise money so they are having a carwash tomorrow in the Chilton parking lot and I volunteered to help wash the cars."
"Hmm, sounds.interesting. Will you be in a bathing suit?" Jess smirked.
"You wish." She looked at her table and Lorelai's tongue was hanging out. "I think my mom's hungry."
"Right; food. Coming up."
"Thanks."
He winked at her and she smiled; maybe things would work out after all.
~~~
End of part 8.
*Dean is always the bad guy in R/J stories, so I thought I'd make him a good guy in this story.* :o)
~~
For the next few weeks, Jess never talked to Rory, except to take her order at the diner. Every time she saw him, she wanted to run away and hide; she felt so bad for what she had done to him, but she was so confused she didn't know what to do, so she ignored him as well. Jess wasn't ignoring Rory because he was mad at her; it was the total opposite; he had totally fallen for her and he just couldn't stand to pretend to be just her friend, so he didn't talk to her at all; even though it was killing him. When school finally started, Rory was all too happy to go back, then she wouldn't have to worry about the awkwardness between her and Jess everyday. Her senior year started off with a bang, she got all the classes she wanted, all of her teachers were great, and she and Paris were finally starting to get along.
On Friday night of the first week of school, Rory and Dean went out to celebrate the fact that they were finally seniors. They went to see "Signs", then they went to a late dinner. After dinner, they went for a walk by the bridge. Memories of her and Jess came flooding back and Rory got a little uncomfortable.
"What's the matter?"
Rory looked at Dean, "Huh? Nothings wrong? Why?"
"Well, you seem really distant. You've been that way since you got back from D.C."
"I'm fine."
"I knew this was going to happen the day you went on the picnic with him."
Rory was a bit surprised by his comment, "Huh?"
"Rory, you can't hide it anymore. I know you have feelings for him."
"No, I don't! Dean, I love you!"
"I know, and I love you too. I also want you to be happy, and it's clear you'll be happiest with Jess."
"Dean, don't say that."
"Rory, I love you, I always will; but you belong with Jess. I'm not stupid, I've seen the way you look when you're with him; YOU ARE HAPPY. I'm doing this for you. All I want is for you to be happy. Be with Jess."
Rory was crying now, "Dean, please don't do this."
"Rory, listen; I'm not mad, and I'm not doing this to hurt you; all I've ever wanted is for you to be truly happy. I had hoped it would be with me, but I know now that it would be with Jess. As much as I hate the little punk, I know that he would take good care of you, treat you right, and love you the way I love you. I understand all that now. We both know that you belong with Jess."
He leaned down and kissed her softly. "This is the way it should be."
Then he walked away. Surprisingly, Rory wasn't nearly as upset as she thought she would be. She slowly walked home, thinking about what she was going to do about this whole situation.
~~
The next morning, Lane went to Luke's with Rory and Lorelai for breakfast.
Lorelai smiled at her daughter, "You're turn to order."
"What?"
"Go to the counter, order the food."
"Why me?"
"Cuz it's your turn."
"Mom."
Lane broke in, "I can do it."
"No, Rory does it." Lorelai nodded her head towards the counter and Lane looked over and saw Jess behind it. Lane quickly caught on.
"Right, Rory does it."
Rory caught on as well. "Forget it, I know what you guys are doing, and it's not gonna work."
"Oh come on Rory, the tension between you two is so thick you could cut it with a knife." Lorelai giggled, "I always wanted to say that."
"Mom, stop."
"Rory, you stop. Dean broke up with you because he knows you belong with Jess; I mean, what more do you need. Go talk to the boy."
"She's right Rory, you belong with Jess." Lane smiled.
"Well, I wouldn't say that. If I had my way, Jess would be long gone from here and far away from you, but what can I do? So just go, before I send you to boarding school in Switzerland."
"Fine, I'll go "order the food."
Rory glared at her mom and best friend as she headed over to the counter. Jess was wiping the counter and jumped when she came up.
"Start wearing a bell!" He hissed at her.
Rory suppressed a giggle, "Sorry."
"What'll it be?"
"You."
"Excuse me?"
"You, I want you to talk to me."
"What do you call this?"
"Jess."
"Ok, fine. Upstairs."
"Ok."
Rory followed Jess upstairs, ignoring the look her mom gave her. When they got upstairs, Rory pulled herself onto a table, and Jess sat on his bed.
"So talk." Jess looked totally uninterested in talking to her.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"Acting like a jerk."
"If this is what you wanted to talk about."
"Just shut up and listen."
Jess went silent.
"I can't stand not talking to you. You're my friend and I can't stand that you're mad at me."
"I'm not mad."
"Then why are you acting like this?"
"It's easier for me if I don't talk to you; keeps my mind off of you."
"You are so full of it."
"Am I?"
"Yes; you're too damn stubborn for your own good."
"Tell me something I don't know."
"Dean and I broke up."
"Really?"
"You sound surprised."
"I am."
"Why?"
"I never thought you would. That's all."
"He broke up with me for you."
They paused.
"Ok, that sounded wrong."
"Yea. What I mean is, he thinks I should.be with you."
"Come again?"
"He.and everyone else think we belong together."
"Everyone but you."
"Jess, I am still really confused. Can you just give me time to figure things out? That's all I ask."
"Fair enough."
Jess got up, walked over to Rory, and stood between her legs. She was leaning way back on the table, so he reached over, put his hands on her hips and pulled her to the edge of the table until their bodies were touching, then he slowly leaned in.
"What are you doing?" Rory said into his mouth.
"Giving you something to think about." Then he kissed her. She opened her mouth to try to say something, anything that would get him to stop, but she couldn't think of anything to say, mostly because she didn't want him to stop. When she opened her mouth, he took the opportunity and slid his tongue in her mouth. She was completely defenseless against him, so she tangled her fingers in his hair and responded to the kiss. It only lasted a minute, but it felt like an eternity.
When Jess pulled away, Rory pouted, "That's so not fair! You are totally breaking down my defenses!"
Jess grinned, "Anything to get to "figure things out" faster."
"Cheater."
Jess chuckled and grabbed her hand, pulling her off the table, "Come on, if we don't go back down, your mom will come up with a swat team."
~~
When they got back downstairs, Rory went back to the table and sat down.
"Well? What happened?" Lane was practically begging for info.
"We talked. I asked him to give me time, he agreed."
Lorelai raised her eyebrow, "Talked? That's all?"
"Yep." Rory lied through her teeth.
"Where's the food?"
"Oh, right. Be right back." Rory grinned and went over to the counter to order breakfast.
Lorelai and Lane looked at each other, "They totally did more than just talk."
"Oh, yea."
Jess smiled when he saw Rory, "Come back for more?"
"In your dreams."
"You better believe it."
Rory rolled her eyes, "My mom wants food."
"Excuses, excuses."
"Jess."
"Ok, food coming right up."
"Thank you."
"However, I must warn you, Caesar is cooking."
Rory wrinkled her nose, "Why?"
"Luke is in Hartford. He had to get some things for the diner. He'll be back tomorrow. I'm sure he's just dieing to cook for you again."
"I won't be here tomorrow. I have to do a school thing.sorta."
"Sorta?"
"Yea, these girls from my school, Madeline and Louise are on the school dance team, which I didn't even know we have, anyway, they are trying to raise money so they are having a carwash tomorrow in the Chilton parking lot and I volunteered to help wash the cars."
"Hmm, sounds.interesting. Will you be in a bathing suit?" Jess smirked.
"You wish." She looked at her table and Lorelai's tongue was hanging out. "I think my mom's hungry."
"Right; food. Coming up."
"Thanks."
He winked at her and she smiled; maybe things would work out after all.
~~~
End of part 8.
*Dean is always the bad guy in R/J stories, so I thought I'd make him a good guy in this story.* :o)